A drug dealer was chased up a Paisley street by cops as he carried more than £9,000 of cannabis in a Tesco carrier bag.
Joseph Sillars, 35, tried to dodge the police in Esk Drive on January 12, 2022, but officers saw him throwing the bag containing the drugs through the window of a BMW X5.
Police seized the drugs from the car and arrested Sillars. When he was arrested, Sillars, from Inchinnan, told officers the bag was an Aldi carrier bag containing clothes rather than the large amount of drugs, the Paisley Daily Express reports.
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Prosecutor David Gallagher told Paisley Sheriff Court local cops received intelligence that there was a continuous smell of cannabis coming from a property on Mannering Road, Paisley.
Police were told on January 11, a male and female had been seen attending the property in a red Volkswagen with a large laundry bag with a smell of cannabis coming from it.
Mr Gallagher explained: “Officers observed the red Volkswagen to be registered to the accused and attended at the property.
“Officers got no answer despite knocking several times.
“It was suspected the vehicle had been parked outside the property prior to attending the following day to avoid being seen by police and it was suspected the accused had uplifted cannabis from the property.”
Mr Gallagher explained how Sillars was arrested on Esk Drive the following day outside St Paul’s Cathedral after being pursued by police.
The court heard: “Around 12.45pm on Tuesday, January 12, officers on plain-clothed patrol in an unmarked car observed the accused walking outside a property on Brediland Road carrying a Tesco bag.
“Officers were aware Sillars had been documented in the supply of cannabis and turned their vehicle around.
“Sillars then turned left onto Esk Drive and began to sprint uphill.
“At this time, officers observed a female in the passenger seat of the red Volkswagen with the window open talking to someone in a black BMW X5 that had parked directly next to it.
“Sillars reached the top of the hill and threw the Tesco bag into the open window of the X5 and continued to sprint away.
“Officers were able to stop the X5 and obtain the bag which contained a green herbal material which tested positive for cannabis. The amount totalled 1.4kg and the accused was arrested.
“During his interview, Sillars stated the carrier bag was an Aldi bag and not a Tesco bag and that it contained clothing, not cannabis.”
Mr Gallagher explained how cops identified the drugs to be recognised as 1kg which had a value of £3,800.
However, Mr Gallagher added that cops estimated that if the haul was to be sub-divided into recognised cannabis street deals of 2g, then the value would be £9,760.
Defence agent Jim Clarke told the court Sillars generally works in the IT industry on a self-employed basis.
Mr Clarke explained Sillars has nothing outstanding and asked for background reports to be called for, reserving further mitigation.
Sheriff Gillian Craig deferred sentence for the preparation of a criminal justice social work report and a restriction of liberty order assessment.
Sillars will return to the town’s court for sentencing on January 27 and his bail was continued.
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